Retort for heating the edge of skelp in the manufacture of welded pipe or tubing



July '21, 1953 w. w. KUN-rz, JR 2,646,267

RETORT FOR HEATING THE EDGE OF SKELP IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WELDED PIPE OR TUBING 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed June 25, 1948 A INVENTOR WELLINGTON w. KuNTz JR.

BY f 1 z a @m ATTORNEYS July 21, 1953 w. w. KUNTz, JR 2,646,267

RETORT FOR HEATING THE EDGE OF SKELP IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WELDED PIPE OR TUBING Filed June 25, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 4g, 35 l l 4 6 l Fl 4 l INVEN-roR WELLINGTON W. KUNTZ JR.

ATTORNEY S July 21, 1953 w. w. KUN-rz, JR 2,646,267

RETORT FOR HEATING THE EDGE OF SKELP IN THE MANUFAC'IURE OF' WELDED PIPE OR TUBING Filed June 25, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR WELLINGTON W. KUNTZ JR.

FIG? BY ATTORNEY S Patented `luly 21, 1953 UNITED? fsf-ritiri?.

s @eA-.rem omai:

lRETORT OR HEATING THE OFSKELP -IN THE `MANUFACTURE OFrWELDED PIPE i wellingto'nnw. Kuntz, Jr., Westfield, N. J., as; signor to Air Reduction Company, Incorporated,A

' a corporation of New York ApplicaiimiJunefas, i948, serial No. 35,263

This inventionrelates to retortsfforv` heating the edges of skelp in the manufacture of welded pipe or tubing in which flat skelp is progievsive- 1y bent to tubular form to bring the lateral edges togethertov forma longitudinal seam,r and ythe metal at'the edge facesis progressively heatedto' welding temperature, leither whi1e.,the skelp is flat or just prior tov bringing the edgefaces in,

toc'ontact, to cause. the .edgevfaces to weld together when theyare pressed into contact with.

each other.- The retort to whichthe invention particularly relates is ofthe kind. that vheats the edges of, the skelp .while the skelp is, flat.

vIn order to, properly heat the skelp edges, the I skelp must be accurately guided past the edge# heatingburners. l So-called skelp guides do this, providing vertical and in some. case, horizontal restraint. @There is anl'upper and lower guide for each ledge of the skelp, andfeach` guide usually has a fluted or grooved surface'fin engage? ment with which thee skelp moves. Heretofore the skelp guides .have'each constituted part -of a single casting which also included `the brackets fonmounting it, the burner mounting,and the fiuted. surface' which actually guides the skelp. Thecasting was .therefore rather complex and expensive. The sei/ erev temperature conditions to which these parts werev subjected,` together with the physical stress. causedfby the skelp being pulled through the retort, frequently caused This vof course necessi-y cracksvin the castings. tated their replacement,which in addition to the cost of the defectivepart, resulted in a substantial amount of lost time-alsocostly. Furthermore, if a skelp guide of the type heretofore used survived the rigors to which itis normally subjected, the fluted surface on which the skelp actually rests would wear down .and thenk the burner and v.skelp edge were ,no longer perfectly aligned, resultingv inthe necessity of replacing the ,entire casting.

The principal'V object of this invention is to provide` a retort for heating skelp edges'having an improved type of skelpguide that is durable and is easily and inexpensively replaced.

' Another Objectis to provide a lskelp guide that restrains the skelp vertically and that is adjustable vertically relative to the edge heating burnerxto compensate for wear.

.'Ihe invention is illustrated inthe accompanying .drawings,iinwhich; l f

z claims. (chase-@eff p M'e'r'skelpf guide assemblies, drawn to a larger scale, some parts being shown in horizontal section;

ticalsection its inner `sid someparts being'fshowvn in Ver- Y Sembiy Qf Figs. i4.'f ands; amir M .'jFig 7 is a' front View ofjone of the edge heat l i,ngfburners, of. the retort.Y j 'Y f Iogive a better understanding of the functionof aretort` ofthe kind to which this invention` pertains andhow itis related to the other Vassociated vpartsof tube-making apparatus, one

type .of tube-'making apparatusof which'such a retort'forxns a part will first be described by reference ,.,to1ig.' f 1. This Vligure diagrammatically Shows van edge-heatinlg-retort aspartof .tubemaking Iapparatus which is adapted to make tubingvbyjthe drawbench bell-weld method, but it` should be understood that the edge-heating ref tort `of rthe present invention isnot limited in its` Y use tothatparticular kind of tube-making apparatusbut may also be used in connection with apparatus which 4forms theV skelp to tubular shape by' means'of forming rollsthrough which the skelp is passed.

Inthe drawbench bell-weld method of tube manufacture'skelp strips are introduced'into a furnace for preheating. Such a furnace is represented in Fig. l at 10. vIt has an entrance Il at one'end through which the skelps, designated l2,V are introduced intoV the furnace to `lie on'the bottom i3 of the furnace until they become high- 1y` heated. Before .the skelps are placed in the furnace they are usually-prepared by tapering their'forward ends and bending them upwardly.V

y The skelpsY are withdrawn from the furnace one at a .time through'a discharge openingld by long'tongs I5which are firstA applied to the bent Fig. l5 a ,brolgenfside elevation of the lower vslelp guide v`assembly of lj'lig. 4 asviewe'd from 3 up end of the skelp to be withdrawn and then engaged with a dog I6 on an endless chain I1 mounted on a drawbench I8. The chain I1 is continuously driven by a motor I9 through gearing 2B. As the skelps emerge from the furnace they are first drawn through a retort 2| to further heat the edges of the skelp. This retort corresponds to the retort which forms the subject of the present invention. The tongs then pull the skelp kthrough a forming bell 22 which is supported against a head block 23 mounted on the drawbench just beyond the edge-heating retort 2|. As the skelp passes through the bell it is formed to tubular shape and the lateral edges of the skelp which have been heatedrto welding temperature in the retort 2| are brought together and welded. The portion of a skelp that has been pulled through the bell and therefore corresponding parts at opposite sides of the longitudinal center line of the retort. The following description of one of the portions (the righthand portion 26) willV therefore suffice for the other. It includes a lower skelp guilde 21, an upper skelp guide 2B, and a burner block 29. skelp guide v21 has an upper surface which is grooved or uted transversely to provide upstanding projections 30 (See also Figs. 4 and 5) which support and guide a lateraledge portion of the skelp I2 (Fig. 3) as it passes longitudinally I through the retort. The'upper skelp guide 28 has The lower a lower surface which is similarly grooved or fluted transversely to provide projections 3| which lie over the projections 30 on the lowerk skelp guide and bear against the upper surface of the lateral edge portion of the skelp as it moves through theretort. As will kbe clear from Fig. 3, the upper and lower skelp guides support the corresponding lateral edge portion of the skelp as it passes longitudinally through the retort and L.,

guide it so that the edge face of the skelp is substantially in horizontal alignment with a row of jet passages 32 in the burner block 29 (see also Fig. 7). A combustible gas mixture, such as a mixture of acetylene and oxygen,.is delivered to the burner block and issues from the jet passages 32. When ignited it produces a row of heating flames which are directed against the corresponding edge face of the skelp. The grooves in the upper surface of the lower skelp guide are preferably aligned'vertically with those in the lower surface of the upper skelp guide, and each pair of vertically aligned grooves preferably comes v,opposite one of the jet passages 32 in the burner block. The products of combustion from the burner flames will then pass through the grooves in contact with the upper and lower surfaces of the skelp and heat the metal back from the edge face of the skelp. In some cases pure oxygen jets may issue from the jet passages F 4 are mounted on a skelp guide support which is shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 with the burner block omitted. As best shown in Fig. 4 it comprises two end members 33, 34, preferably metal castings, which are spaced apart longitudinally of the retort. Each of these end members is bolted to the retort casting 35 (Fig. 3) by means of a bolt 3S (Figs. 2 and 3) which passes through a slot 31 in the member. The slot 31 is elongated in a direction vtransverselyof the retort. The retort casting 35A is in turn fastened to a base casting (not shown) which is bolted to an extension of the drawbench.

' Each of the castings 33 and 34 has an extension 38 (FigsjZ and 4) which projects toward the other casting and terminates in a boss 39. The two bosses 39V are spanned by the burner block 29 as shown in Fig. 2, apair of outwardly extending slotted ears 49 on the outer face of the burner block being bolted to the upper surfaces of the bosses by means of bolts 4|. The bolts pass through the slots in the ears on the burner block-and are screwed into one of several sets of threaded bolt holes 42 in the bosses 39 (Fig. 4) The bosses hold the burner block in such a way that there is a minimum amount of obstruction to the passage of air under Ythe burner block. 3

Each of the castings 33 and 34 also has a downwardly extending portion or flange 43 at the lower end of which there is a hub 44 (Figs. 3 and 4). A shaft 45 is fixed in the hubs of the two castings. This shaft serves as a supportfor two end brackets of the upper skelp guide 28. Only one of these brackets appears in the drawings at 46 in Fig. 3. The brackets 46 can pivot upon the shaft 45. A leverl 41 pivoted intermediate its ends on the shaft ispivotally con- .Yne'cted at its free end to one of the brackets 46 as shown at 48 (Fig. 3). When the lever 41 is depressed the upper skelp guide 28 swung outwardly about the axis of the shaft 45ste permit access to the retort when this is necessary to remove jammed or broken skelp, to clean the retort,

n or forV any other purpose.

The downwardly extending flange 43 on each of the castings 33 or 34 has a portion 49'which projects inwardly toward the center of the retort. This inwardly projecting portion on the forward casting, i. e. the casting nearest the entrance end orV furnace Vend of the retort, is provided wth an opening 50 (Figs. 4 and 5) into which is tightly tted a pin 5|. The pin projects a short distance from the portion 49 of the casting longitudinally of the retort and toward the exit end of the retort, i. e. awayy from the furnace. As shown in Fig. 4 the protruding end of the pin is slightly tapered. The corresponding portion 49 of the rear casting, i. e. the casting nearest the exit end of the retort, has a threaded opening 52 preferably in longitudinal alignment with the opening in which the pin 5| is inserted. The pin 5| and the threaded opening 52 constitute part of the means by which the lower skelp guide 21 is detachably secured to the two skelp guide supporting end members or castings 33 and .34 which jointly constitute the principal part of the support for the lower skelp guide. An angle bracket 53 (Fig. 5) is bolted to the under side of the lower skelp guide 21 at its forward end. One or moreA shims 54 are inserted between the bracketY and the lower surface of the skelp guide. A hole 55 is provided in the downwardly extending portion ofthe angle bracketand this hole is adapted to be slipped over the tapered protruding end of bracket 53.

the above describedf-'pin'f5'lwhich is lins'ertd in the forward skelp guide supporting casting.

y, Another anglebracket '56 isboltedtofthe under. sideof .the lower skelp guide 21 at its rear end-one or more shims 51 being inserted 'between the bracket and the skelp guide. A hole 58` is .providedin Vthe .downwardly extending portion of this bracket corresponding-to the hole 55 in the The two brackets 53 and 564'are so spaced apart and so proportioned thatwhen'the opening 55 in the bracket 53 slipped over the lli merely l'changing the shims 54 and`51 'between the angle brackets'and the skelp guide, itfbeing unnecessary V Ato move` the burner block to feffect thisv alignment;V However, lateral vadjustment of the'k burner block to vary the distance between its discharge facer and `thejcorresponding edge. face Yof the skelp is permitted by the slotsin the burner block ears 40 (Fig. y2) .through which the bolts 4| pass to .attach theV burner block to the end castings 33 and 34, and by the several sets ofbolt holes42 inthe castings which permit the projecting end of the pin 5I in the forward casting 33, the opening 58 in the bracket 5S can vbe A made to lie adjacent to and in alignment with the threaded opening 52 in the rear casting 34.

When these two holes are thus aligned a bolt 59 can be inserted through the hole infthe bracket and its threaded end screwedinto the hole in -the casting, thereby attaching the skelp guide to the two castings. To assemble thev lower skelp guide on the two castings 33 and 34 it is only necessary to approach the retort from its exit end, i. e. the end farthest from the furnace, slip thehole 55 in the bracket 53 over the projecting end of the Ypin 5l align the hole 58 in the bracket 55 with the corresponding hole 52v in the adjacent casting 34, and then insert the bolt 59. Similarly it can be easily and quickly detached from its support simply by removing the bolt 59 and mov- Ving the skelp guide longitudinally toward the t exit end of the retort to withdraw the hole 55V in the bracket 53 fromengagement with the projecting end of the pin 5|. Y

Each of the lower skelp guides 21 is cooled byV cooling water circulated through a central passage 60 in it (Fig. 3) A fitting 5l is provided at the rear end of the skelp guide (Fig. 5) through which the cooling water is admitted to lthe skelp guide, `and another fitting 62 is provided at its forward end through which the cooling water is discharged. After the skelp guide is positioned on its supporting castings 33 and 34 the fittingl 'is connected to a suitable supply source for practically all cracking and breaking of the skelp a guide due to expansion and contraction. However, should the skelpguidecrack or break, or

should it need replacing becauseof wear, it isV only necessary to remove the singlerbolt 59 andy one water connection (at the relatively cool exit end of the retort remote from the furnace) ,Y then ybolts 4! kto be screwed into the castings at differe'nt distances from the longitudinal center line of the retort. These adjustments in combination with theflateral adjustment of the end castings 33 and 34 permitted by the slots 31 in them through which the bolts 36 pass to attach these castings to the retort casting 35, permit a wide range-of lateral adjustments of the burner blocks and the end castings ateachA side of the retort to accommodate skelps of various widths.

Only the lower skelp guides have been described as being detachably associated with their supporting structure. and complex and are subject to the most wear and abuse and itis therefore more important for them to be detachably associated with their supporting structure than the upper skelp guides. However, the invention is applicable to the upper when they are pressed into contact, it may be used as a preheating retort to preliminarily heat skelp guides aswell as the lower'ones.

f While the retort herein described, when related to the-other parts of tube welding apparatus in the manner indicated in Fig. l, is intended to heat the metal at the skelp edges to welding temperature so that the edges will weld'together the skelp edges which must then be raisedrto welding Vtemperature in a subsequent heating step.

I claim: 1,'In a retort for heating the edges-of skelp as it moves longitudinally through the retort, a skelp guide support` having Yportions spaced '-apart longitudinally of the retort, one of said portions having a pin projecting toward the other portion, a skelp guide for supporting an edge portion of the skelp spanningl said portions of the skelp guide support and having at oneend a part prof vided with an opening adapted to be slipped over the projecting endof said pin, means for detachably and fixedly connecting the other end of the skelp guide to the other portion of the skelp guide support, and a burner block supported on and connected to other portions of the skelp support and related to the 'skelp guide so that the Y names or jets from the burner block are directed slip the defective skelp guide out andk replace it; Y

This procedure is both simple and quick, and

the new guide to be substituted for the originalone is inexpensive compared to the original onepiece castings heretofore used. The detachability of the skelpj guide also renders it possible to make it out of "a different metal lfrom the other parts,.if. so desired, such as stainless steel or the like. i

Upon original installation, and later as the skelp-contacting projections 30 on the lower skelp guide wear down from use, it is necessary to align j `the skelp with the jetpassages 32 in the burner f block for maximum efficiency. This is done .by

Y the skelp spanning said portions of the skelp against the edge of the skelp as the skelp moves through the retort and is supported and guided by the skelp guide. v v

y2. In a retort for heating the edges of skelp as it moves longitudinally through the retort, a

skelp guide support having portions spaced apart longitudinally of the retort, one of said portions having a pin projecting toward the second portion and the second portion having a bolt hole, a skelp guide for supporting anedge portion of guide support and having' brackets at opposite ends, Vthe bracket at oneend of the skelp guide having an opening adapted to be slipped over the projecting end of said pin and the bracket at the second end of the yskelpguide having a bolt hole adapted to be aligned with'the bolt hole in said second portion of the skelp guide sup-port They are the most costly Y 7 When` the 'rst end of theskelp guide is lposttoned'by'slipping the opening in the bracket at that -end of `the guide over the pin, a bolt removably inserted insaid aligned bolt holesA to deta-Chably and xedly connect the second end 'of the skelp guide to said second portionof theV slre'lp guide support, and a burner block supported onrand connected to other portions of the skel-p guide support and related tothe skelp guide so that4 the flames or jets from the burner block are directed against the edge of the skelp as the skelp moves through the retort and is supported and guidedby the skelp guide.

WELLINGTON W. KUNTZ, Jia.

:References cited 1n the me of tmsrpaterit UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date n Calvert June 20, 1916 Clark et al July 31, 1934 Anderson Sept. 1, 1936 Sutherland Aug. 31,1937 Jones et al. Oct. 31, 1939 Anderson July 30, 1940 Strickland Jan. 4, 1949 

